Distribution of lead actors in movies in the U.S. 2011-2024, by gender
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A 2024 report found that 47.6 percent of lead actors in films in the United States that year were female. A decade earlier, the share stood at 25.8 percent. The 2024 figure marks a significant increase in comparison to the previous year.
Behind the scenes
Whereas female share in lead roles in cinema has mostly increased, that progress is much slower behind the camera. Despite reaching an all-time high in 2021, women represented less than a quarter of movie writers in 2024. That gap is even wider for directing roles. As of 2024, women still accounted for less than 16 percent of all movie directors, a significant decrease compared to the figures recorded in 2021.
Who goes to the movies?
During a survey concluded during the first quarter of 2024, men aged 18 to 34 represented 23 percent of the movie-going audience. Among women of the same age, the share stood at 30 percent, the highest value among all age brackets considered. Anoter study led in 2025 showed that Gen Z consumers went to the movies more frequently than other generations. About a third of Gen Z respondents claimed to go to the theaters a few times a month, while movie-going frequency decreased with age.
